Australian Prime Minister John How ard, one of President Bush’s most stalwart War on Terror allies, lost a bid for a fifth term over the weekend.

The result was clearly not a referendum on his strong friendship with Bush. Rather, after nearly a dozen years in office, Howard’s time simply had come.

Howard saw the importance of strengthening one of his nation’s (and America’s) strongest – and longest – strategic alliances.

Save for Tony Blair, Howard was Bush’s most eloquent and forceful partner in responding to terror in the wake of 9/11 and the 2002 attack in Bali, which killed 88 Australians.

Howard also oversaw reforms in taxation, welfare and labor policy – making his nation competitive with its neighbors and producing an economic boom.

Indeed, those reforms were so successful that the incoming Labor prime minister, Kevin Rudd, campaigned on a promise to keep the bulk of them intact.

On the diplomatic front, Howard provided a balance for the often-contentious relations among rising regional powers Japan, India and China.

Though Rudd deems himself more of an “internationalist” – he means to draw down Aussie combat troops in Iraq, work more closely with the UN and ratify the Kyoto global-warming treaty – he’d be wise to keep in mind the value to Australia of a strong strategic relationship with the United States.

Meanwhile, John Howard has secured his place in history. Americans of good will wish him well.